U.S. Pat. No. 6,772,071 discloses a system and method for estimating the amount of substance released into a surrounding medium from a known location. The system includes a network of point sensors that are configured to take concentration measurements over time. These measurements are then used with a dispersion model to estimate the release rate (and total release) of the substance via a back calculation algorithm. This technique is particularly suitable for gaseous substances, especially toxic chemicals, where the release rate information can dictate the scope and speed of any necessary response.
Toxic substances often travel far and large. Covering such areas and distances via point sensors alone may require a large number of such sensors to be placed along the area or distance. As the number of required sensors increase, so does the cost of monitoring the large areas. Accordingly, what is desired is a system and method for substance release estimation for covering large areas in a more efficient manner than what is currently provided via point sensors alone.
Furthermore, the rate in which substances are released into the environment are affected by atmospheric conditions such as wind speed, solar radiation, and the like. Accordingly, it is desirable to have a system and method for substance release estimation that takes into account such atmospheric changes.